WEBVTT - Bengals Booth Podcast: Orlando! 0:00:03.520 --> 0:00:06.279 Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading 0:00:06.320 --> 0:00:17.599 The Bengals Booth Podcast, the Orlando Landolano edition. As the 0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:21.280 Bengals shock the NFL by signing the best offensive lineman 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:24.760 on the market in free agency this year, or Lando Brown, 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:28.360 Dave Lapham joins me to discuss the Bengals new left tackle, 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:31.920 who's going to play right tackle, and other developments in 0:00:32.000 --> 0:00:35.600 free agency. Jermaine Pratt remains a Bengal after signing a 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:38.640 three year contract extension. I'll talk to him one on one. 0:00:38.760 --> 0:00:42.559 And then it's the third edition of our NFL Expert 0:00:42.640 --> 0:00:46.879 Mock draft as Ryan Fowler from the Draftnetwork dot com 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:50.560 takes his turn on the Pro Football Focus mock simulator. 0:00:50.960 --> 0:00:53.920 The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by Kettering Health, 0:00:54.120 --> 0:00:57.240 the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. With more than 0:00:57.280 --> 0:01:00.920 one hundred twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, 0:01:01.160 --> 0:01:04.680 Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health. 0:01:05.080 --> 0:01:08.800 Visit ketteringhealth dot org to learn more. Now, here's a 0:01:08.880 --> 0:01:11.360 quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of 0:01:11.440 --> 0:01:14.679 this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:19.560 by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest 0:01:19.600 --> 0:01:23.880 thing since people who are ready to order when it's 0:01:23.920 --> 0:01:27.280 their turn. We all have pet peeves, and here's one 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:31.320 of my biggest. You're in line to order something. Picture 0:01:31.400 --> 0:01:34.200 a Starbucks or a fast food place, and as you're 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:36.920 slowly making your way to the counter, you have plenty 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:40.399 of time to study the menu, and yet when it's 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:43.240 almost time to order, the person in front of you 0:01:43.720 --> 0:01:46.680 hems and haws when it's their turn, as if they 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:50.720 are studying Matt Damon's math on the blackboard and goodwill 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:55.880 hunting people. It's not that hard. Put away your phone 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:59.080 for a second, look at the menu, and be ready 0:01:59.080 --> 0:02:02.880 to order when it's return. Everybody behind you in line 0:02:03.360 --> 0:02:09.320 will thank you. Rant dismissed. Now let's get to football. 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:14.079 ESPN has a stat called pass blocking win rate. It 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:16.960 involves sustaining your block for two and a half seconds 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:21.560 or longer. Two years ago, the Bengals offensive line ranked thirtieth. 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:25.480 The Super Bowl champion Rams were number one. Last year, 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:29.000 after revamping their offensive line, the Bengals moved up nine 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:33.959 spots to number twenty one. The NFC champion Eagles came 0:02:34.000 --> 0:02:37.440 out on top. Anybody that watched the Bengals last year 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:41.560 knows that the offensive line struggled early, eventually was at 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:44.840 least middle of the pack, and then was decimated by 0:02:44.840 --> 0:02:47.640 injuries at the end of the year, starting backups at 0:02:47.720 --> 0:02:50.880 left tackle, right tackle, and right guard In the AFC 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:54.839 Championship Game loss to Kansas City. There was clearly room 0:02:54.880 --> 0:03:00.440 for improvement, but few people anticipated a massive improvement literally 0:03:00.480 --> 0:03:05.639 and figuratively with the addition of Orlando Brown. I discussed 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:08.320 it and an interesting first week of free agency with 0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:13.239 my broadcast partner, Dave Lapham. Lap I was broadcasting the 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:16.560 UC basketball game on Wednesday night when the Orlando Brown 0:03:16.680 --> 0:03:20.320 news broke and my initial reaction was, is that the 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:23.600 real Tom Pelli sera Twitter account? Let me see that 0:03:23.680 --> 0:03:26.600 blue check. I thought it might be a prank. Well, 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:29.360 obviously it was not a prank. The six to eight, 0:03:29.800 --> 0:03:33.720 three hundred sixty three pound four time pro bowler is 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:36.760 coming to Cincinnati and coming at a reasonable price. Yes, 0:03:36.760 --> 0:03:39.480 he gets the huge bonus up front thirty one mill, 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:42.640 but it's sixty four mil for four years. That breaks 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:46.040 down to sixteen million dollars a year for a soon 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:51.000 to be twenty seven year old, outstanding, proven left tackle. 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:57.080 Are you stunned? Totally? Totally? I mean, he is entering 0:03:57.560 --> 0:04:00.640 the prime years of his career at twenty seven years old, 0:04:00.760 --> 0:04:04.600 and he's been the four consecutive Pro Bowls, four consecutive. 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:07.440 There's only four linemen in the National Football League that 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:11.560 can make that claim. He's the only offensive tackle. Jason 0:04:11.680 --> 0:04:15.480 Kelsey at the center position, Joel Betonio at guard, Quentin 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:18.920 Nelson at guard or the others. This guy's the only one, 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:24.480 and a four straight Pro Bowl guy to at right tackle. 0:04:24.520 --> 0:04:27.400 To it left tackle. Now, he's made it clear he 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:29.480 wants to play left tackle, and the Bengals are gonna 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:32.200 play him at left at left tackle, make no mistake 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:34.960 about that. But you know the other thing, when I 0:04:35.000 --> 0:04:38.560 think about it, three of the five offensive linemen now 0:04:38.560 --> 0:04:42.360 with the Cincinnati Bengals have Super Bowl rings left tackle, center, 0:04:42.640 --> 0:04:46.360 right guard. That's that's phenomenal. I mean, that's like, these 0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:49.760 guys know what it takes to get there. Um, you know, 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.680 Centator's got two right guards, got one, left tackles, got one. 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:57.760 That's uh, that's that's pretty spectacular. And when you look 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:02.000 at Orlando Brown, he's he's throw he thrives in a 0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:06.760 situation in Baltimore that was, you know, run heavy thirty 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:09.360 thirty five times a game on the ground with a 0:05:09.440 --> 0:05:12.839 quarterback named Lamar Jackson. He thrived there. He goes to 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:15.880 Kansas City with a quarterback named Patrick Mahomes that threw 0:05:15.880 --> 0:05:19.920 it forty forty five times a game, thrive there. He's 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:22.119 made the Pro Bowl at both right and left side. 0:05:22.360 --> 0:05:27.280 He's a very personal, outstanding, top level performer. And then 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:29.640 he comes to Cincinnati with Joe Burrow. What a quarterback 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:33.640 role call that is? Are you kidding me? So? Mark Jackson, 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:38.599 Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow man its chevits It's crazy. If 0:05:38.600 --> 0:05:40.640 you read a lot about the guy, there are people 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.440 out there around the NFL that say he's better at 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:47.120 right tackle. That may be true, but he's proven to 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:51.280 be excellent at left tackle. That's where he wants to play. 0:05:51.560 --> 0:05:55.120 The Bengals have been looking to upgrade the tackle position 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:58.640 in general. They get a guy in his prime, and 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:01.240 as you mentioned, that's where they're gonna put him. They're 0:06:01.279 --> 0:06:03.120 not going to mess around with him on the right side. 0:06:03.480 --> 0:06:06.240 Right he's he's been very adamant that he wants to 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:09.440 play the left Haldle position. And um, you know it's 0:06:10.560 --> 0:06:12.800 you look at him like you said, Dan six eight, 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:17.440 three hundred and sixty three pounds with long arms. Length 0:06:17.600 --> 0:06:20.760 is a big, big prime requisite in terms of and 0:06:20.800 --> 0:06:23.200 a guy that knows how to use his length even 0:06:23.279 --> 0:06:28.040 make his length longer, and this guy does. Um, he's 0:06:29.040 --> 0:06:31.320 he's an athletic. I mean, he's not a stiff. He'll 0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:34.160 get to the second level and him a linebackers. I've 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:36.320 seen him throw defensive backs to the ground like there 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:38.560 were children, you know, out there in space. He's a 0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:43.279 guy that can readjust his body. I mean he's he's long, 0:06:43.680 --> 0:06:48.280 he's strong, he's wide, he's he's everything. I mean, he 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:52.760 is a He is a massive, imposing human being. There 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:56.960 is no question about it. And you know, um, when 0:06:57.120 --> 0:06:58.919 we went to the Super Bowl the two times in 0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:02.360 the nineteen eighty and a bell cow, a guy named 0:07:02.360 --> 0:07:05.080 Anthony Munos, you have a bell cow on the offensive. 0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:08.000 This guy is the bell cow. This guy's the guy 0:07:08.320 --> 0:07:10.400 you know like with Anthony, was like he's the racers. 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:12.320 We don't need to borry about. He'll take care of 0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:13.600 that guy. What are we gonna do with all the 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:17.360 other guys? You know, Orlando Brown has proven and has 0:07:17.360 --> 0:07:20.520 one on one matchups in Kansas City and doing the 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:22.280 things in the running game he did in Baltimore that 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:24.320 you know, he's he can be that kind of guy. 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:27.040 I'm not I'm not trying to compare him to Anthony Munos. 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:29.280 I'm not saying, you know, he's a twelve time Pro 0:07:29.400 --> 0:07:35.160 bowlder like Anthony, but four straight Pro Bowls with the 0:07:35.600 --> 0:07:38.480 talent and ability that he has. And I think Dan, 0:07:38.560 --> 0:07:40.080 I think he's gonna have a chip on his shoulder. 0:07:40.080 --> 0:07:42.160 He's I think he's gonna be upset that the thirty 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:44.480 one million dollars is a record kudoso the Bengals for 0:07:44.520 --> 0:07:47.920 giving a record bonus to an offensive lineman to a tackle. 0:07:48.600 --> 0:07:51.240 But you know, sixteen millionaire. People thought he was going 0:07:51.320 --> 0:07:54.080 to make more than that, There's no question, including himself. 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:57.800 He turned down more than that from Kansas City and 0:07:57.840 --> 0:08:01.440 got tagged franchise tag. So I'm I mean that's going 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:04.520 to motivate him. And the other thing Dan is the legacy. 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:07.840 I mean his dad, you know, Zeus Orlando Zeus Brown 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:11.160 was a great player himself died at the age of forty. 0:08:11.680 --> 0:08:15.440 Orlando's fifteen years old. That's adversity, having to deal with 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:18.160 that and overcome that adversity, and then you want to 0:08:18.760 --> 0:08:22.680 continue your father's legacy. And that is a big motivator 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:25.720 to this guy. I know it's a huge motivator to him. 0:08:25.760 --> 0:08:30.960 And you know hearing him communicate over the years and 0:08:31.520 --> 0:08:36.560 all of his stops. He's intelligent, he's articulate, he brings 0:08:36.600 --> 0:08:40.680 some juice, you know, to the equation. He's big time, 0:08:41.000 --> 0:08:43.600 no doubt. Let me follow up on that chip on 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:47.559 the shoulder factor with Orlando Brown. Mike McGlinchey, one of 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:50.040 the free agents in this year's class, a right tackle, 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:54.280 got five years eighty seven point five mill from Denverse, 0:08:54.280 --> 0:08:59.480 so he got more money. Joan Taylor signed with Orlando 0:08:59.559 --> 0:09:03.199 Brown's former team, the Chiefs. He's been a right tackle 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:06.000 now they might move him to left tackle to replace 0:09:06.400 --> 0:09:10.720 Orlando Brown. He got more money four years eighty mill 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:13.760 now not as much as guaranteed, which is obviously a 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:17.680 big factor. But that's a way that these guys keep score, 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:21.920 and that has to drive Orlando Brown a little nutty. Yeah, 0:09:21.960 --> 0:09:26.320 I mean, if you look at it, Orlando Brown, Kansas 0:09:26.360 --> 0:09:29.360 City let him go and he signed for less money 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:31.440 than the guy that they ended up signing and that 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:33.880 guy's not as good a player. I mean, to me, 0:09:34.000 --> 0:09:37.080 that's like, what was the problem there. There has to 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:39.200 be I don't know, I don't know if a personnel, 0:09:39.240 --> 0:09:41.240 I don't know what the deal was, but there has 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:45.720 to be something there. But that one, that one's an interesting, 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:53.160 interesting dynamic to be sure. But boy, I mean, kudos 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:56.240 to the Bengals for putting that money up front, thirty 0:09:56.240 --> 0:09:59.480 one million to sign the contract. I mean, that's that's 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:02.719 life aging money for multiple generations right there, just to 0:10:02.800 --> 0:10:07.240 put your name on a contract. And honestly, Dan, when 0:10:07.240 --> 0:10:10.319 you think about it, we've heard it, you know many 0:10:10.320 --> 0:10:13.760 times over the years working together. The Bengals get criticized 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:17.360 for their small scouting department, their small front office that 0:10:17.440 --> 0:10:20.560 they're you know, well, i'll tell you what to get 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:23.560 this deal done. When Orlando Brown fell into their lap. 0:10:23.840 --> 0:10:27.520 There's no way that they thought that Orlando Brown was 0:10:27.559 --> 0:10:32.280 going to be an opportunity, an availability, but they were patient. 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:37.400 They waited and the price came down and they pivoted. 0:10:37.800 --> 0:10:41.280 So the two peas patients and the ability ability to pivot. 0:10:41.679 --> 0:10:44.040 A lot of these organizations, like trying to turn the 0:10:44.120 --> 0:10:46.680 Queen Mary when they, you know, trying to get something 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:50.920 done where everybody agrees on everything. They meet at eight 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:53.560 o'clock in the morning every morning this time of year, 0:10:53.720 --> 0:10:56.960 the owner, the head coach, the scouts. They talked through 0:10:57.000 --> 0:10:59.959 everything and they meet during the course of the data 0:11:00.200 --> 0:11:02.560 see any changes have been made and all that. They 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:06.160 pivot like they pivot quickly. So they were a patient. 0:11:06.440 --> 0:11:09.080 They pivoted, they got the deal done, and they struck 0:11:09.120 --> 0:11:12.960 before anybody else could. So at what point do Duke 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:17.200 Tobin and Katie Blackburn get the benefit of the doubt 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:19.800 Because on the first couple of days a free agency, 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:22.240 when they lost some very good but not Pro Bowl 0:11:22.280 --> 0:11:27.000 caliber players, people are not only disappointed, they're flipping out. 0:11:27.400 --> 0:11:31.800 It's a hannock, it's anger. And as I've said many 0:11:31.840 --> 0:11:35.360 times on the calendar, this is the year twenty twenty 0:11:35.440 --> 0:11:40.160 three a d. But it's the year four JB as 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:43.439 in Joe Burrow, and everything has changed. All those old 0:11:43.559 --> 0:11:46.480 notions that people have of the Bengals throw them out 0:11:46.480 --> 0:11:49.800 the window. They don't apply anymore. Yeah, look what they've done. 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:53.680 Back to back free ads and classes three offensive linemen 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:57.160 last year and the coup this year. I mean that 0:11:57.360 --> 0:12:00.959 is that's and why it's a commitment to JB the 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:03.880 Joe Burrow. I mean, we're they're trying to build a 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:07.360 stone wall to protect Joe Burrow, and they're getting closer 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:10.760 and closer. Like we said, three of these guys have 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:13.959 won Super Bowls. I mean, that's that's big. That is 0:12:14.040 --> 0:12:17.480 big this this group. You know, not only Okay, you 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:20.439 put a Lambo Brown at left at left tackle, you 0:12:20.559 --> 0:12:23.040 got Volson who played at a very high level Paul 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:25.960 Rookie mentioned, you know, at the left guard position, Harris 0:12:26.000 --> 0:12:28.600 at the center position, the quarterback of the offensive line, 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:31.720 one of the most important players in the Bengals this 0:12:31.800 --> 0:12:34.560 past season. And then at right guard you have a 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:37.280 guy that played at a Pro Bowl level, you know himself, 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:40.040 He's played in the Super Bowl. Uh, you know, Kappa. 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:43.560 I mean the interesting thing is going to be the 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:46.800 derby at right tackle. Everybody's going to get a shot 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:50.120 at the right tackle position. LC. I don't think else 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:53.600 will be back in my mind, I don't know. Maybe 0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:57.280 mid season would be something you could contemplate. Maybe he 0:12:57.320 --> 0:12:59.079 misses a quarter of the season and I'm not sure 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:02.559 he's going to be ready at the gun um and uh, 0:13:02.600 --> 0:13:04.640 you know, then you've got you've got five or six 0:13:04.679 --> 0:13:07.520 guys Jonah Williams included that would you know, be competing 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:10.720 for that right tackle spot in the all important swing tackle, 0:13:10.800 --> 0:13:12.760 the third tackle. Have to have a guy that can 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:17.080 play both. You know, Jackson Carmen obviously in the bix um, 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:21.280 there's Isaiah Prince uh is in the mix. I mean 0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:24.000 you look at the look at the roster. I can 0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:29.719 go through uh Deante Smith, Jonah Williams, a kim idenergy, 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:34.920 Jackson Carmen, Isaiah Prince LC. It's going to be a 0:13:35.040 --> 0:13:38.280 derby at that right tackle position. And then you know 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:40.080 you can kick some of those guys inside and give 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:43.400 you depth at the interior positions. You know, you need 0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:46.560 eight guys on game day. I mean, the offensive line 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:50.679 is much improved right now, and supposedly they have some 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.080 some you know that it's just coming up with the 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:57.160 interior lineman and probably take one in the draft. It's 0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:00.680 right now, it's it's it's a very deep offensive line. 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:03.320 It could get deeper. I mean and again and to me, 0:14:03.360 --> 0:14:05.680 it shows a big commitment to number nine Joe Burrow. 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:08.720 So this is interesting to me because you're calling it 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:12.440 a derby at right tackle. I assumed when they signed 0:14:12.520 --> 0:14:15.080 Orlando Brown that it's got to be Jonah. You know, 0:14:15.120 --> 0:14:17.319 they picked up his fifth year option prior to last year. 0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:20.800 He's gonna make twelve million bucks. Played right tackle early 0:14:20.920 --> 0:14:24.400 in his career at Alabama, so I just assumed he'll 0:14:24.400 --> 0:14:27.800 be the guy. But you don't necessarily think that's the case. Well, 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:30.000 he's coming off surgery, you know, he had to have 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:33.600 surgery on that knee, and you know, you wonder, and 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:36.360 I'm not saying that he's not at some point in 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:39.680 time during the season, but would else be still a guy, 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:41.840 you know, at some point in the season as well. 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:44.120 That's what I'm saying. There's there's a lot of people 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:47.800 at that right tackle position, and a lot of these 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:51.040 guys are competing for that third tackle spot, you know, 0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:54.720 as much as anything. Somebody that can show versatility to 0:14:54.760 --> 0:14:58.320 be able to play both of the spots, and Jonah 0:14:58.360 --> 0:15:00.880 could do that. But like you said, a twelve million 0:15:00.920 --> 0:15:03.720 dollar swing tackle, I don't know about that. It's gonna 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:05.880 be interesting to see how the whole thing I'm full of. 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:10.120 But they're gonna have a lot of decent bodies for 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:14.600 Frank Pollock and his staff to work through at you know, 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:17.560 OTA's and mini camps and training camp, and it's going 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:20.440 to be interesting how this whole thing progresses. And there's 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.480 obviously still a chance that LC could be cut for 0:15:23.560 --> 0:15:26.920 cap space. His contractors structured in such a way that 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:30.200 that would not be a big dead money situation if 0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:32.200 they elected to go that way, But that probably comes 0:15:32.240 --> 0:15:35.040 down to who else they signed between now and the 0:15:35.120 --> 0:15:38.240 start of the season. Let's talk about how this impacts 0:15:38.280 --> 0:15:41.640 the draft. I think when I've been doing mock drafts 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:45.320 and looking at the various boards and so forth, tackle 0:15:45.480 --> 0:15:49.880 was a decent possibility. Maybe it still is, but it's 0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:53.320 certainly I would think less of a possibility now they've 0:15:53.320 --> 0:15:56.040 got other needs. You're always looking for young corners. It's 0:15:56.080 --> 0:15:59.720 supposedly a good class. They need a tight end, or 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:02.120 may be more than one tight end, and this is 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:05.360 thought to be the greatest tight end class in ten years. 0:16:05.840 --> 0:16:10.480 So this does give them more flexibility for the position 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:12.880 group that they target at the top of the draft. Yeah, 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:15.880 there's no doubt. And when you talk free agency, I 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:19.080 wonder if they're done, I wonder if there's enough left 0:16:19.080 --> 0:16:24.160 to maybe get a veteran safety, not the most expensive one. 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:26.240 But you've got to get a guy in there that 0:16:26.400 --> 0:16:29.400 has some NFL snaps because you lost you know, you 0:16:29.480 --> 0:16:33.280 lost your two starters, and it's like you're you're a 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:36.600 baseball guy. If you don't have a center fielder, balls 0:16:36.600 --> 0:16:38.120 to get to the gap, go to the wall. If 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:41.080 you don't have a defensive center fielder that you know, uh, 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:47.400 basically studies hitters and the align accordingly into the left, center, 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:50.120 right center, trying to take gaps away. Same with safeties 0:16:50.120 --> 0:16:53.240 and all. If you if you let seams and gaps 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:56.440 occur in baseball as a center fielder and football as 0:16:56.440 --> 0:16:59.080 a safety, they're gonna keep running. I mean, that's that's 0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:01.360 when balls to the wall and they're running the bases 0:17:01.360 --> 0:17:03.280 and you know, they hit a seam and they're they're 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:05.119 going to the house. So, I mean, there's a lot 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:08.560 of similarities there. They're going to have somebody that has 0:17:08.600 --> 0:17:13.480 an idea from an NFL standpoint, and there are a 0:17:13.520 --> 0:17:16.719 lot of guys with position versatility. The way the NFL 0:17:16.760 --> 0:17:20.199 and even college football even more so, as evolved. You 0:17:20.240 --> 0:17:24.280 have guys that play deep safety, in the box, outside corner, 0:17:24.320 --> 0:17:26.639 slot corner like Dax Hill did last year. There's a 0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:30.800 lot of guys that are exposed to two, three, even 0:17:30.880 --> 0:17:35.480 four components of that and have that position versatility that 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:38.760 lou Anaumo likes, and I would think they would go 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:41.359 with a veteran and then at some point, you know, 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:44.480 in the draft the same way, and you know, it's 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:47.439 it's interesting. This isn't a great free agency class for 0:17:47.520 --> 0:17:50.600 wide receiver or draft for wide receiver, But what did 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:52.440 they do last year when they thought they might lose 0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:55.120 at least one of their safeties verse round fifth round 0:17:55.200 --> 0:17:57.960 two safeties? Don't be surprised. They don't draft the wide 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:02.199 receiver at a spot where people like, well, you know, 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:04.560 you can't sign them all, so you have to start 0:18:04.600 --> 0:18:06.720 thinking ahead a little bit like they did last year 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:12.000 with Dax Hill in Tyson Anderson. So I'm not saying 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:14.879 first round wide receiver. I'm not saying that, but it 0:18:14.880 --> 0:18:17.720 wouldn't shock me if there's a you know, wide receiver, 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:21.080 you know taken I don't know, the top four rounds, 0:18:21.160 --> 0:18:24.200 wouldn't shock me at all. So there's still quite a 0:18:24.280 --> 0:18:27.640 few free agent safeties out there. I don't think any 0:18:27.640 --> 0:18:30.720 of them grated as well as von Bell did last year. 0:18:30.760 --> 0:18:33.040 But these are guys that have been starters on good 0:18:33.160 --> 0:18:37.600 NFL teams. Nick Scott from the Rams is apparently visiting 0:18:37.640 --> 0:18:40.960 Cincinnati on Thursday. By the time this podcast get posted. 0:18:41.280 --> 0:18:43.960 He might sign Who knows. He was a starter on 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:46.159 their you know, super Bowl team that beat Cincinnati a 0:18:46.160 --> 0:18:49.480 couple of years ago. Taylor Rapp was hurt in the 0:18:49.520 --> 0:18:52.280 Super Bowl, but he started for the Rams. Zack Taylor 0:18:52.400 --> 0:18:55.439 is familiar with him. Julian Love has played for the 0:18:55.520 --> 0:18:59.439 Giants been James Betcher was the defensive coordinator. Now he's 0:18:59.480 --> 0:19:02.400 the Bengals linebackers coach, so they would know about him. 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:06.080 Terrell Edmund's former first round draft pick by the Steelers, 0:19:06.200 --> 0:19:08.320 is still out there. He's only twenty six. He's played 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:11.480 against the Bengals quite a bit. So between those guys 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:13.879 and some of the other names that are out there, 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:17.400 they are going to be able to get are reasonably 0:19:17.480 --> 0:19:21.720 priced veteran safety who's got skins on the wall and 0:19:21.840 --> 0:19:26.400 starts under his belt to pair with Dax Hill. I agree, Dan, 0:19:26.560 --> 0:19:28.800 and there's a guy named Adrian Aamers. It's got a 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:32.440 thousand snaps, five straight years of veteran guy, you know that. 0:19:32.800 --> 0:19:35.840 And all these guys are good tacklers in space. You 0:19:35.920 --> 0:19:39.359 have to have that. That's the way college offenses and 0:19:39.520 --> 0:19:41.840 NFL offenses are going. You know you're going to be 0:19:41.880 --> 0:19:44.159 isolated even at the safety position, and going to be 0:19:44.240 --> 0:19:48.480 isolated in space. And yeah, I agree, I think there's 0:19:48.520 --> 0:19:51.040 going to be and I think with the way this 0:19:51.160 --> 0:19:55.520 contract is structured, you know that thirty one million dollars 0:19:56.000 --> 0:19:57.760 is going to be spaced out over four years, So 0:19:57.800 --> 0:20:00.760 at seven plus, you know you're they're still cap dollars 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:03.760 there to go out and get a veteran safety not 0:20:03.920 --> 0:20:09.280 the top echelon in serious significant dollars. If I were 0:20:09.320 --> 0:20:12.080 a betting man, I would think the remaining dollars they 0:20:12.080 --> 0:20:15.800 have budgeted for veteran free agency would be spent at 0:20:15.800 --> 0:20:19.120 the safety position. I don't think there's any two ways 0:20:19.160 --> 0:20:21.480 about that. To me, it's as plain as the nose 0:20:21.560 --> 0:20:23.840 on our faces. Let's talk about some of the guys 0:20:23.840 --> 0:20:26.000 that are gone. We knew that Jesse Bates was almost 0:20:26.040 --> 0:20:28.800 certainly going to sign elsewhere, and he did with Atlanta. 0:20:28.880 --> 0:20:32.760 I was mildly surprised that Von Bell signed with Carolina, 0:20:32.800 --> 0:20:36.480 but only mildly surprised. I think after the Bengals gave 0:20:36.520 --> 0:20:40.200 third contracts to Carlos Dunlap in his thirties and Gino 0:20:40.280 --> 0:20:42.880 Atkins in his thirties, and they were both for three 0:20:42.960 --> 0:20:46.120 years plus. I think they're really reluctant to give more 0:20:46.160 --> 0:20:49.919 than a year or two to a veteran thirty year 0:20:49.960 --> 0:20:54.119 old Ish guy, especially on defense, and that kind of 0:20:54.160 --> 0:20:55.960 spelled the end, I think for von Bell, since he 0:20:56.040 --> 0:20:58.760 got three years from Carolina. Yeah, I think I think 0:20:58.800 --> 0:21:02.600 that it was it was von Bell and Pratt. You know, 0:21:02.640 --> 0:21:05.200 it was like who's gonna who's gonna take the cheese first? 0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:08.199 And economically they're about the same on a year at 0:21:08.200 --> 0:21:11.040 a year basis, but von Bell wanted more years, I 0:21:11.000 --> 0:21:14.800 would believe, like you and that Pratt got. Well, Pratt's 0:21:14.840 --> 0:21:18.040 that's a second contract is von Bell's third, So that 0:21:18.040 --> 0:21:20.760 that's the difference. I mean, the difference is just calendar. 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:24.240 It's just you know, age and uh wear and tearing 0:21:24.359 --> 0:21:27.639 years and all that sort of thing. So um, you know, 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:29.720 I probably a lot of people have been how geez, 0:21:29.760 --> 0:21:31.879 I wish it was von Bell and not Pratt and 0:21:31.920 --> 0:21:34.399 other people. I'm good with Pratt over von Bell, but 0:21:34.480 --> 0:21:39.159 I will say that, uh, you know, Robert Livingston, I 0:21:39.240 --> 0:21:40.720 bet that was a that was a kick in the 0:21:40.760 --> 0:21:42.639 pants when he realized both of them were gone. But 0:21:42.800 --> 0:21:46.200 it's you know, it's it's um, it's better sweet, I 0:21:46.240 --> 0:21:48.680 guess as a term for it, because you know, you're 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:51.960 you're instrumental in developing these guys, and as a coach, 0:21:52.000 --> 0:21:53.800 you want these guys to make as much money as 0:21:53.840 --> 0:21:56.080 they can and have, you know, as great a legacy 0:21:56.119 --> 0:21:58.199 as they can, and then when they move on and 0:21:58.280 --> 0:22:01.280 graduated as such, it becomes a sad day. But I 0:22:01.359 --> 0:22:03.560 will say that these guys were huge with the culture. 0:22:03.880 --> 0:22:05.720 And culture is not a raw material that don't go 0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:10.600 mining culture, and these guys were instrumental in it. But Dan, 0:22:10.720 --> 0:22:14.240 what you have guys, I remember veteran players, you know 0:22:14.280 --> 0:22:16.040 when I was in the early stages of my career 0:22:16.240 --> 0:22:18.800 that had a major impact on me and other guys 0:22:18.800 --> 0:22:22.119 in the football team. And they got they retired or 0:22:22.200 --> 0:22:25.080 traded or whatever. And what they did while they were there, 0:22:25.400 --> 0:22:27.760 it didn't go with them, it didn't leave the door. 0:22:28.200 --> 0:22:30.600 I mean, they made a lasting impression and it's like 0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:33.119